Cold feat for Marathon trainers

Michael Morton

Friday

Feb 22, 2008 at 12:01 AMFeb 22, 2008 at 9:16 PM

For those unaccustomed to running outdoors in the middle of winter, the advice might seem like a tip from a self-destructive lunatic: Make sure you aren't wearing too many clothes when your sneakers hit the frozen pavement.

For those unaccustomed to running outdoors in the middle of winter, the advice might seem like a tip from a self-destructive lunatic: Make sure you aren't wearing too many clothes when your sneakers hit the frozen pavement.

But Sudbury resident Derek Perkins, currently training for the upcoming Boston Marathon with the Greater Framingham Running Club, swears by the tip.

"You should dress as if the temperature is 30 degrees warmer than it actually is," said Perkins, 51, explaining that too much clothing can cause overheating.

While many MetroWest residents huddle indoors, area runners registered for the April 21 Marathon have already hit the road in preparation for taking off from the Hopkinton starting line. But when event rookie Jessica Pray of Hopkinton arrives at her Framingham office to put in some work before a lunchtime run, she gets cold just walking across the parking lot.

"As long as you can get yourself out there, that's the hardest part," said Pray, 30, adding she actually prefers training outdoors to working out on a treadmill and has gone for a few runs this winter in dangerous conditions.

"Halfway through, I think, 'What am I doing, this is just stupid.' "

While Pray and other area runners called conditions this winter relatively mild on the whole, Franklin marathoner Craig Duffy, recently returned from the humid Walt Disney World Marathon in Florida, said it takes a few miles in northern climates to warm up.

"You never know how race day is going to be," he said. "It's better to be prepared for anything."

Those training for the Marathon advised other potential cold-weather runners to stick with a base layer and a jacket, to wear a hat and gloves, and to stay hydrated despite the cold.

"You do lose fluids," Perkins said, adding that the hardest part of training in the winter is pulling back the bed covers. "You'd be amazed," he said of running outside. "It's actually pretty comfortable."

For Marathon veteran John Whelan of Hopkinton, the cold weather doesn't even rank highly on the list of training difficulties. Instead, he pointed toward snow and ice on the shoulders forcing runners into the roadway. Also, lower-impact trail running is not an option in icy conditions.

"That brings the injury factor a little higher," he said.

While motorists may question their sanity, outdoor runners do avoid one wintertime hazard more easily than their wheeled asphalt neighbors: potholes.

When asked about the craters' impact on training, Whelan answered, "Almost none."